TAKE OFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does take off mean? 

• TAKE OFF (verb)
  The verb TAKE OFF has 9 senses:

1. leave

2. take away or remove

3. depart from the ground

4. take time off from work; stop working temporarily

5. mimic or imitate in an amusing or satirical manner

6. remove clothes

7. get started or set in motion, used figuratively

8. prove fatal

9. make a subtraction

  Familiarity information: TAKE OFF used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TAKE OFF (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Leave

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

depart; part; set forth; set off; set out; start; start out; take off

Context example:

The family took off for Florida

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

go away; go forth; leave (go away from a place)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "take off"):

lift off; take off (depart from the ground)

roar off (leave)

blaze; blaze out (move rapidly and as if blazing)

sally forth; sally out (set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

The children take off to the playground
These cars won't take off

Derivation:

takeoff (a departure; especially of airplanes)

takeoff (the initial ascent of an airplane as it becomes airborne)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take away or remove

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

Take that weight off me!

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "take off"):

discase; disrobe; peel; strip; strip down; uncase; unclothe; undress (get undressed)

declaw (remove the claws from)

dehorn (take the horns off (an animal))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Depart from the ground

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

lift off; take off

Context example:

The plane took off two hours late

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

depart; part; set forth; set off; set out; start; start out; take off (leave)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The airplane is sure to take off

Derivation:

takeoff (the initial ascent of an airplane as it becomes airborne)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take time off from work; stop working temporarily

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

take off; take time off

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

break up; cut off; disrupt; interrupt (make a break in)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Mimic or imitate in an amusing or satirical manner

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

This song takes off from a famous aria

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

copy; imitate; simulate (reproduce someone's behavior or looks)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

takeoff (humorous or satirical mimicry)

takeoff (a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Remove clothes

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Context example:

take off your shirt--it's very hot in here

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

discase; disrobe; peel; strip; strip down; uncase; unclothe; undress (get undressed)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "take off"):

peel off (take off, as with some difficulty)

slip off (take off with ease or speed)

uncloak (remove a cloak from)

doff (remove)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They take off the cape

Sense 7

Meaning:

Get started or set in motion, used figuratively

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

get off the ground; take off

Context example:

the project took a long time to get off the ground

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

get going; go; start (begin or set in motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 8

Meaning:

Prove fatal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The disease took off

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

kill (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 9

Meaning:

Make a subtraction

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

deduct; subtract; take off

Context example:

subtract this amount from my paycheck

Hypernyms (to "take off" is one way to...):

calculate; cipher; compute; cypher; figure; reckon; work out (make a mathematical calculation or computation)

Domain category:

arithmetic (the branch of pure mathematics dealing with the theory of numerical calculations)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "take off"):

carry back (deduct a loss or an unused credit from taxable income for a prior period)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

“Lord bless my soul!” he exclaimed, “I didn't know they were chops. Why, a chop's the very thing to take off the bad effects of that beer! Ain't it lucky?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Only take off the red cloak, sir, and then—But the string is in a knot—help me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He started to take off his shoes, but fell to staring at the white plaster wall opposite him, broken by long streaks of dirty brown where rain had leaked through the roof.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You will enjoy seeing your career take off like a firecracker in weeks and months to come.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Don't take off your apron, whatever you do, it's peculiarly becoming, said Laurie, as Jo bestowed his especial aversion in her capacious pocket and offered her arm to support his feeble steps.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I had long ago recognised the necessity, and begun to take off my coat, but he stopped me with a warning hand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Let him take off his plates and delve himself, if delving must be done.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient repeatedly put on and take off clothing?

(NPI - Repeatedly Put On and Take Off Clothing, NCI Thesaurus)

"I'm going out to get some wood," he said. "Then I can take off my moccasins and be comfortable."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Take off your shoes—that’s right—and carry them in your hand.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)